It has been quite popular with hunters to utilize tree stands or platforms above the ground to aid in hunting. In order to prevent individuals from falling from elevated platforms, such as tree stands, a number of different types of safety devices have been developed. One example of a safety device is a harness that is attachable to the tree or other support on which the individual is standing. If the individual happens to fall off of the platform, the harness, because it is attached to the support, operates to stop the fall of the individual after a short distance in order to prevent the individual from striking the ground.
While many prior art harnesses engage to stop the fall of an individual, the harness exerts an instantaneous and significant force on the body of the individual in a direction directly opposite to the direction in which the individual is falling. The magnitude of this force can often cause injury to the individual depending upon both the size of the individual and the length of the fall traveled by the individual, i.e., the momentum of the individual, before the engagement of the harness. Even after the fall the individual is now hanging from their harness but has no way to pull themselves back up onto the platform they feel off of which in a short period of time hanging from their harness in this manner could cause them to die from suspension trauma. In addition, some prior art safety harness can sometimes suspend individuals in other than an upright position, which is not desirable for obvious safety reasons.
In addition to stopping the fall of an individual, it is desirable that the safety harness, when engaged, suspend the individual in an upright position for obvious safety reasons.
The present invention offers an improved safety restraint device that fills a need in the art for a simple, effective, inexpensive, easy to use device which is not hampered by noise or lack of flexibility of movement. The present safety system when worn facing the tree such as a climbing belt better absorbs the shock of a fall and when engaged, suspends the individual in an upright seated position. If so desired the present invention can be worn as a climbing belt or it can also be worn as a traditional 6 point safety harness. The difference between the present invention and today's safety harnesses is in case of a fall that the present invention allows you to pull yourself up when worn and used properly. The anchor member and connecting member of this invention could also be incorporated and used with the prior art harnesses used today for added safety reasons that may prevent individuals from dying from suspension trauma.